Bloomberg Law: Upcoming H-1B Registration Process Still Fraught With Concerns

bloombergImmigration attorneys continue to have concerns about a new electronic registration process designed to make the H-1B visa application process easier, even as the government moves ever closer to implementing it.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services late Dec. 6 announced that the spring 2020 H-1B filing season will feature an electronic preregistration process. The new protocol, laid out in a January 2019 regulation, will allow employers to enter the annual lottery for the specialty occupation visas without having to prepare a full petition with supporting documentation until they are actually selected. Continue reading “Bloomberg Law: Upcoming H-1B Registration Process Still Fraught With Concerns”

From NC Policy Watch: Law professor: NC Courts need the power to protect the state’s immigrants from unlawful detention

Gettyimage-unlawfuldetentionOur North Carolina clients may be interested in this opinion piece by Kate Evans, clinical professor of law and director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Duke University School of Law. Professor Evans is addressing a North Carolina Supreme Court case that is currently pending, which will decide whether immigrants detained unlawfully under state law by state officials can challenge their detention in the state’s courts.

Click here to read the full article in NC Policy Watch.

 

The Economic Times: 98% of H-1B visa rejections unchallenged

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Most instances of H-1B visa denial do not attract appeals by employers, according to new research by a US-based anti-immigration think tank. This comes even as denial rates for the prized visa category have spiked to 24% in financial year 2019 from about 6% in 2015. In 98.4% of the cases where the H-1B visa was denied, the employer chose not to file an appeal, said David North, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which is based in Washington, DC.

Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/72118260.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

 

Immigration changes in the UK

Courtesy of our friends at Globaladvocaten, we are providing this helpful information explaining recent changes to the United Kingdom’s immigration laws.

Click here to read full article.

If you need assistance with outbound immigration to the United Kingdom or other countries, we stand ready to assist through our Globaladvocaten network.

Globaladvocaten is a collaboration between independent law firms with a network that includes over 800 lawyers working in 20 countries, and is a premier resource for Shumaker, enabling us to add value for our clients abroad. Globaladvocaten has been ranked by the Chambers Global Guide for 2019 for Leading Regional Law Firm Networks – Europe-wide. 

Forbes: Ken Cuccinelli, U.S. Immigration Services Chief, Boasts Of Increasing Bureaucracy

Ken ImmigrationIn a new press release, Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), boasted that the Trump administration has increased red tape and bureaucracy for U.S. companies. It’s the latest example of administration officials lauding efforts to make it more difficult for employers to obtain what economists often consider to be a company’s most valuable resource – talent.

Since 2017, Trump administration policies have focused on restricting the entry of immigrants and foreign nationals, including scientists and engineers. “Denial rates for new H-1B petitions have increased significantly, rising from 6% in FY 2015 to 32% in the first quarter of FY 2019,” according to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis. Continue reading “Forbes: Ken Cuccinelli, U.S. Immigration Services Chief, Boasts Of Increasing Bureaucracy”

Shumaker is a Proud Sponsor of AILA Central Florida Chapter’s 33rd Annual Immigration Law Conference

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is pleased to announce that is a sponsor of AILA Central Florida Chapter’s 33rd Annual Immigration Law Conference, which is being held at the The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club from October 24, 2019 – October 26, 2019.

This year’s conference is chaired by Immigration Practice Group Co-Chair and partner, Maria del Carmen Ramos. The conference will focus on business and family immigration. Experts from around the country will be presenting on a variety of immigration hot topics ranging from complicated issues in worksite enforcement to the latest on the public charge rule.

Limited spots are still available for law students, attorneys, and paralegals.  If interested in registering, please click here.

For more information, please contact Maria del Carmen Ramos at 813.227.2252 or mramos@shumaker.com.

Forbes: Restrictions On H-1B Visas Found To Push Jobs Out Of The U.S.

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Important new research concludes immigration restrictions that prevent companies from hiring high-skilled foreign nationals in the U.S. represent bad economic policy and are counterproductive. The first-of-its-kind study examining company-level responses to government immigration rules found H-1B visa restrictions carry the unintended consequence of pushing jobs outside the United States and lead to less innovation in America.

Read the rest of the Forbes article here.

Mechelle Zarou Presented at Diversity and Immigration Seminar

Shumaker is pleased to announce that Mechelle Zarou, partner and Immigration practice group co-chair, was a presenter at a Diversity and Immigration seminar hosted by the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce, Bowling Green Economic Development, and Welcome BG on October 2, 2019. Mechelle spoke about employment-based immigration to employers.

Zarou seminar

From the Washington Post: Svetlana Kuznetsova will not defend Citi Open title because of U.S. visa issues

Svetlana Kuznetsova will not defend her Citi Open title because of visa issues.sveta

 

Kuznetsova, who is Russian, announced Thursday on Twitter that she is withdrawing from the tennis tournament, which will begin next week in Washington.

“Wanted to apologize to all my fans who were waiting for me there ..Never had issues like this in my life, hopefully one day I can finally get a visa and play at list [sic] some events of the US swing!” wrote Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion.

Continue reading “From the Washington Post: Svetlana Kuznetsova will not defend Citi Open title because of U.S. visa issues”

Forbes: Latest On The Court Cases That Could Restrict Immigration, OPT And H-1B Spouses

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Two important lawsuits may affect whether international students and the spouses of H-1B visa holders will continue to be permitted to work in the United States. Adding to the complication, the Trump administration is expected to issue regulations that would affect the ability of one or both groups to work.

Click here to read more of the story from Forbes.